Golf clubs are designed for use in hitting golf balls in a variety of ways, all of which require a sufficient applicable force and accuracy in order to most expeditiously propel the golf ball toward a designated ground hole goal or cup. Various golf clubs are used to provide various propelling functions. The initially used driver is designed for use in providing maximum lofted propulsion over a large distance (usually measured in hundreds of yards). Putters, used in the final approach to the hole, are at the opposite end of the golf spectrum wherein distance is subservient to extreme accuracy in causing the ball to be propelled across the ground and into the hole or cup.
The art of putting has eluded perfection by even the most ardent and talented golfers. Yet, the number of putts required to sink the ball often represents as much as half of the golfer's total score. Since a golfer is limited to a single putter over an entire round of play, the nature of the putter is important in permitting a golfer to play the best possible game.
Putting requires a high degree of skill and accuracy in which a properly designed club can enhance a player's natural and learned abilities. Numerous factors, which often involve trade-offs, are taken into account in the design of a club head for a putter and which relate to the putter's action during the swing and upon impact with the ball. These factors include moment of inertia, lateral dispersion, weight, club head material, shape of the striking face, shaft alignment, sighting means and face balance. Such factors relate to the rotational stability of the club during the swing, the maximum energy transfer from the club to ball, the balance, the resistance to twisting upon impact with the ball, even if hit off center, and the ability of the club to impart the maximal rotational energy on the golf ball to produce a natural rolling motion from point of impact.
The most common design for a golf putter includes a flat putting face, usually perceived as being necessary for best control. In other putters, putter heads have been designed with convex striking surfaces. These convex striking surfaces take advantage of the ability of a convex surface striking another convex surface (the ball) at a point below the equator of the ball (the putter diameter being less than that of the ball) to create a forward roll from the point of impact. A lack of swing balance is a problem with such putters. None of the available putters take into account substantially all of such factors in their design and structure. Thus, while putters, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,879 (with weighted ends), take into account longitudinal balance, there is no consideration given for overall weight balance during a swing or pendulum stroke.
It is accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a golf putter head encompassing the aforementioned design features to improve the putting facet of golf, including full balancing.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a golf putter head which virtually eliminates twisting upon impact with the golf ball and which reduces the putter head's sensitivity to twisting even during off center hits.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a golf putter head which will impart maximal rotational force to the golf ball, in the direction of the hole, from the point of impact, whereby the ground friction variable is reduced or eliminated with the creation of the rolling motion on the ball.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a golf putter head which is readily alignable with a golf ball for the accurate propelling thereof.
These, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the following discussion and drawings in which: